Parental Alienation In Childhood
Parental alienation is devastating for the parent, and also for the child. Why would a child want to alienate themselves from their parent? Often when the other parent is abusive and there is a custody battle, but this isn’t always the case. This is an important issue to learn about if you have or are currently in a custody battle.
Don’t be fooled; parental alienation isn’t just one single thing. It has many components. There is a lot to learn about parental alienation. We’ve broken it down into the three main arenas in which we need to study it.
Speaking Out
A clinical psychologist specialized in the study of childhood abuse and trauma, stated that “parental alienation is a disorder of power, control and jealousy.”
Many estranged children may not be aware that they are suffering from the effects of PAS, and feel as though there is something wrong with them. The alienated parent is often diagnosed with a Mental Disorder during the divorce, which may cause some relief in their mind.
A person who speaks out against parental alienation as an adult child often feels isolated and alone. Many people have been traumatized by this process and are reluctant to take action if it threatens the relationship with their estranged parent. Also, there is often no one available to help them through their pain and trauma once it has occurred. This can cause these individuals to feel defeated and depressed.
There are many people who feel that they do not have any rights or options when trying to resolve an alienation situation as an adult child of divorce. They often feel as though they have no choice but to go along with the alienation and move forward in life alone without any support or protection.
This can be a very difficult process for those that are involved in the alienation situation as an adult child. They often have little knowledge of the law, which can make it even harder to know what their rights are and how to get help. It is hard for them to feel empowered and take action when they cannot. It can be very upsetting to live with feelings of guilt or shame, because they were told that they would not be loved by their alienating parent if they made any demands or tried to contact their alienated parent. Or even went through therapy.
Even after these events, progress is slow due to the damage that is already present within the child’s life. They may need many years of therapy to be able to heal correctly. Each person will need to move at their own pace and no one can say how long this will take.
If you are struggling with your relationships with your parents as an adult or if you have been able to forge a healthy adult relationship. I would love to hear from you.